SOLVED. What's the book about magic and whales [s]

[Hannah]

I read this book more than 3 years ago so sometime between 2006 and 2010. The main character is a female. I think early or middle teens. She has some kind of power but doesn't know it. She meets this guy who is older (but not much older) that shows her what she can do with her power. She goes off with him and there was something about whales or dolphins. Part of her power is that she can 'merge' or something with animals and she does so with a sea creature. The man pulls her back saying that she can't put too much of herself out there or she will lose herself. Something like that. The scene looked over some cliffs when they are traveling.

The only other part I remember is that there is a battle of some sorts and the man is fighting of top of a castle. He's using magic so he's not physically fighting but there was a lengthy description of how his face was pinched with grayness.

I'm not sure if the girl and the guy get together in the end but I remember something was odd about the relationship. Sorry that's not much to go one but I've been looking for this book for a while now. It's not The Naming or part of the Pellinor Series.




EDIT: It wasn't set in modern times.

[Serendi]

Any chance you're thinking of Diane Duane's Young Wizards series? Deep Wizardry has whales.

[Hannah]

Thanks but no. It wasn't set in modern times. opps should have included that.

Young Wizards is a good series though!

[Diana]

Sounds kind of similar to A Ring of Endless Light but there was no castle or fighting.

[Duncan]

Some of the Animorphs involved whales.

[Hannah]

hmmmm A Ring of Endless Light sounds familiar.... I'll check it out!

It definitely wasn't Animorphs. I remember reading those when I was a kid.

[Sophie]

I'm going with Wild Magic. There's a girl who can go into the minds of animals and a battle on top of a castle with magic.

At one point she asks the whales for help but they're pacifists and won't help with the battle, so she asks the kraken instead... does this sound familiar?

[Sue]

I agree-Wild Magic and sequels, by Tamora Pierce.
1. Wild Magic (1992)
2. Wolf Speaker (1994)
3. The Emperor Mage (1994)
4. The Realms of the Gods (1996)

[Liralen]

Thirding Wild Magic.

[Hannah]

YES! It was wild magic by Tamora Pierce. I just finished rereading it. Thanks so much for everyone's help. I feel so much better now that I know what this book is.